3 Things

First, after China, now India is becoming a strong candidate for global investment. But to understand what are the three major concerns facing India, we have Indian Express' Udit Misra joining us in this segment.

Second, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, after receiving a sexual harassment complaint has removed its director-in-charge Sahadeb Sarkar from his position. To know more about the case, we speak to Indian Express' Santanu Chowdhury who has been reporting on the matter for the paper.

Lastly, we talk about Pakistan’s precision strikes over Iran and how Pakistan and Iran relations have changed due to the recent attacks.

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 18th of January and here are the headlines.

In the latest in a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Western Arabian Sea since last month, a vessel came under a drone attack late on Wednesday. It elicited a prompt response from the Navy’s Guided Missile Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam. In a statement, the Navy said that INS Visakhapatnam, a mission deployed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations, swiftly responded to a distress call by Marshall Island flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack. MV Genco Picardy, with 22 crew including nine Indians, reported nil casualties.

With five days to go to the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the idol of Ram Lalla sculpted by Arjun Yogiraj will be placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum today.The idol was gently lowered into the 'grabh grah' or sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple with the help of a crane early this morning. Later in the day, the idol will be placed on a throne following 'mandap pravesh' rituals.

The Pakistani military conducted a series of "highly coordinated" retaliatory strikes against "terrorist hideouts" in Iran this morning, As per reports, at least nine people have been killed in the assault. The strikes came two days after Iran's missile and drone strikes in Pakistan's Balochistan province. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, quote, "This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran." Unquote. It said a number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation — codenamed "Marg Bar Sarmachar".

Several train and flight operations were disrupted as dense to very dense fog conditions prevailed over Delhi and parts of North India, including Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, early today. The fog conditions were accompanied by a cold wave which is likely to continue over some parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh over the next four days. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 6.6 degrees Celsius.

An Army soldier was killed and two others injured on Thursday in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control in Rajouri district’s Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Pointing out that the deceased was an Agniveer, sources said that all the three were evacuated to Army’s Command Hospital at Udhampur where he succumbed.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, Indian Express' Sujit Bisoyi tells us about Odisha's recently inaugurated Shree Mandira Parikrama project—an extensive Rs 800 crore heritage corridor expected to assist millions of devotees visiting the famous Jagannath Temple.

Next, Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha explains the reason why Kashmir has received drastically low snowfall this year and what that means for the region (09:06).

And finally, Indian Express' Namit Kumar tells us about India's top-ranked singles tennis player, Sumit Nagal, becoming the first Indian since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 to beat a seeded player in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam, and what this says about the state of Indian tennis (15:32).

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Written and produced by Shashank Bhargava and Niharika Nanda
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 17th of January and here are the headlines.

An Indian Reserve Battalion jawan was killed in the violence-hit border town of Moreh in Manipur early today. Following this, the Manipur Home Department Commissioner requested the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for helicopters for medical emergencies and to airlift troops and weaponry to the area. In the second killing of a Meitei police officer in Moreh in two-and-a-half months, W Somorjit, attached to Manipur police commandos deployed at an IRB post at the time and the assailants attacked it using grenades, followed by a volley of firing.

The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta has removed its director-in-charge Sahadeb Sarkar following a sexual harassment complaint against him. The institute, in a statement issued last evening, said it took action against Sarkar based on the recommendation of the internal complaints committee and the allegations are being probed. The IIM-C, meanwhile, appointed the next senior-most faculty member, professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, as the director-in-charge with immediate effect.

Beating the Ayodhya consecration by five days, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will roll out his own temple gambit on Wednesday. The heritage corridor or Parikrama Prakalpa around the Puri Jagannath Temple is a project that the BJD government launched five years ago. The opening ceremony is also set to match the Ayodhya temple in ambition, with the BJD government billing the Rs 800 crore spent on a 75-metre free passage built around the outer walls (the Meghanada Pacheri) of the temple "the biggest infrastructure push involving the 12th-century shrine in 700 years".

A male passenger on a Mumbai-Bengaluru SpiceJet flight was trapped inside the aircraft’s toilet for more than an hour yesterday due to a malfunction in the door lock. The passenger was eventually rescued after the flight landed at Kempegowda International Airport and engineers broke open the door. SpiceJet issued a statement confirming the incident and apologised for the inconvenience caused, saying it would provide a full refund to the passenger.

Apple is expanding its presence in India with the opening of a new 15-floor office in Minsk Square in Bengaluru. The new office’s location is in the vicinity of buildings like the Vidhana Soudha (which houses the Karnataka state legislature), the High Court, Chinnaswamy cricket stadium and Cubbon Park. Apple chose the location with proximity to the Cubbon Park metro station to make the office more accessible for employees.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the 22km long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also known as the Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link. To understand the kind of work that went into building such a massive bridge and how it will aid commuters, we have Indian Express’ Sweety Adimulam, in this segment.
Second, back in 2018, the Mumbai police department established a fund, the Mumbai Police Foundation. However, a recent RTI filed by The Indian Express has brought to light that the Mumbai police also received contributions from entities that were being investigated by the department. In this segment, we speak to Indian Express’ Mohamed Thaver who filed the RTI for the paper. 11:12

Lastly, we talk about the arrest of two suspects in connection with the killing of police officer Anand Kumar, in Manipur’s Moreh, which caused tension in the town. 9:03

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 16th of January and here are the headlines.

The Kerala Cabinet led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 8th of February to take a stand against the “neglect of the Union Government towards the state”. For the last several months, the Kerala government and the Left Democratic Front have been in a protest mode in the state, highlighting how “the BJP-led government is economically stifling the state by slashing down the state’s borrowing limit”, among other factors.

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court today delivered a split verdict on a plea by former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu challenging the high court order refusing to quash the FIR against him in the Skill Development Corporation scam case. The bench differed on the interpretation and applicability of section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the case. The bench has referred the matter to the Chief Justice of India to consider placing it before a larger bench.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today stated that it was difficult for the party to accept the invitation for Ram Temple inauguration as the "BJP-RSS have given it an election flavour". He was speaking at a press conference in Nagaland's Kohima during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Rahul further stated that the "status of the INDIA alliance is good". On being asked about seat-sharing talks in the Opposition bloc, Rahul added that most of the discussions were easy, and though they are complicated at some places, they can be easily resolved.

India's Sumit Nagal defeated World No 31 Alexander Bublik in straight sets to advance into the second round of the Australian Open. He stunned Bublik 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(5. He will face the winner of Mackenzie McDonald and Shang Juncheng up next in the second round. Nagal became the first Indian since Ramesh Krishnan at the 1989 Australian Open to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a multi-millionaire former biotech executive, ended his White House bid on Monday. He endorsed Donald Trump after his longshot bid caught attention but failed to catapult him high enough in the Republican Party's first nominating contest in Iowa. Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old born in Ohio to immigrant parents from southern India, was one of the surprises of the 2024 Republican race dominated by former President Trump.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, the town of Ayodhya is all set for the inauguration of the Ram temple, scheduled for next week. The town, once described as simple not too long ago, has now undergone a complete transformation. In this segment, we speak to Indian Express’ Maulshree Seth, who recently wrote about Ayodhya’s transformation in the paper.

Second, we talk about the HPV Vaccine. The vaccine, which is 97% effective against preventing cervical cancer, will be administered in three phases under a government programme over the next three years. To understand more about the HPV infection and the vaccination roll out, we are joined by Indian Express' Anonna Dutt in this segment.

Lastly, we discuss the incident in which a passenger on board a Delhi to Goa flight of Indigo Airlines was arrested on Monday after he allegedly assaulted the plane’s pilot following an alleged delay of 13 hours.

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This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 15th of January and here are the headlines.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with political leaders across the nation lauded the Army personnel on the occasion of 76th Army Day today. Army Day is celebrated in India on January 15th every year to commemorate the day when General K. M. Cariappa took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in 1949. The event marks the transition of the Indian Army from British control to being led by an Indian officer.

The Madhya Pradesh government has declared 22nd of January as a ‘dry day’ to observe the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav posted on his official X account and said all types of shops including liquor, Bhang outlets will remain closed. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Assam have already made such a declaration.

Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with the Maldives, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said that "it can't be guaranteed that every country will support or agree with India every time". He said, quote, "But, seriously, as a solution, what we have been trying to do in the last 10 years, with a lot of success, is to build a very strong connect, so that, though the politics may go up and down, the people of the country, the society, generally have good feelings towards India and understand the importance of having good relations with India," Unquote.

A children's court in Panaji extended the police remand of Suchana Seth, accused of killing her four-year-old son, by five days. The Goa Police had sought eight days custody of the accused, submitting to the court that she was "only talking in bits and parts" and "not disclosing certain things" in the investigation.

In the wake of an unprecedented fog situation in Delhi, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia took to social media platform X today to address concerns. He assure passengers that measures are being taken to mitigate the impact of adverse weather conditions on air travel and acknowledged the challenges faced by Delhi due to the dense fog, with visibility fluctuating. Expressing understanding for the inconvenience caused to travellers, Scindia requested cooperation during this challenging period.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

First, we talk about the Bengaluru-based start-up CEO, Suchana Seth, who has been taken into custody for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son at a hotel in Goa. In this segment, we are joined by The Indian Express' Pavneet Singh Chadha, who tells us how this crime unfolded.

Second, we talk about Milind Deora's resignation from the Congress to join the Shinde Sena in Mumbai. To understand the reasons behind this, Indian Express’ Alok Deshpande joins us in this segment. 12:55

Lastly, we discuss Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's deadline for India to withdraw its military personnel from the country, amid the ongoing diplomatic row between Maldives and India. 22:07

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Edited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.
It’s the 12th of January and here are the top stories of this week.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, struck down the Gujarat government’s remission orders that allowed the early release of 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case of 2002. The bench said the Gujarat government’s decision to remit the convicts’ sentences was “illegal”. The court ruled that the Gujarat government had no jurisdiction to entertain the remission applications or pass orders granting remission as the trial took place in Maharashtra, making the Maharashtra government the “appropriate” one to decide on the remission.

Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru-based CEO of a tech start-up was arrested on Monday night for allegedly killing her four-year-old son in a Goa hotel. She was caught from Karnataka while allegedly trying to flee in a cab with her son’s body stuffed in a bag. She and her husband are embroiled in divorce and custody proceedings. She was brought to Goa on Tuesday and remanded in police custody for six days by a court in Mapusa town.

A day after the Maldives government suspended three of its ministers over ‘derogatory comments’ on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lakshadweep pitch, the High Commissioner to Maldives met the Ministry of External Affairs officials on Monday. PM Modi’s posts promoting Lakshadweep as a tourist spot last week had triggered a social media row after Maldivian users started making derogatory comments on it. President Mohamed Muizzu suspended Maldivian ministers who contributed to it, but the matter has now become a full-blown diplomatic row.

Senior government officials on Wednesday said that all the states and union territories will get equal opportunity to display their tableaux in the next three Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path, under an MoU signed between the Ministry of Defence and governments concerned. The clarification over the new selection process for the tableaux comes amid criticism from states with the opposition in power, including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, over the rejection of their tableaux.

Canada’s High Commissioner to India Cameron Mackay on Thursday said notwithstanding the recent tensions, the strategic interests of India and Canada are “absolutely aligned”, and he was encouraged by the continuance of bilateral trade and investment relationship. Speaking at a seminar on ‘India-Canada Business: The Way Forward’ at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit here, he said business-to-business ties will support job creation, technology partnership and prosperity of both the countries.

This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.